I've lived in Canada most of my life, jOhn, and never yet seen a bear in the wild, though I think I heard one once at a distance when out in the woods picking blueberries. I sang a song to let him know I was there, and he immediately went away. Bears are well aware that people are unpredictable and potentially dangerous, so they generally avoid them if given advance warning.

I have lived in both Canada (most of my life) and the USA (for ten years), and I greatly prefer Canada although there is much good one can say about the USA. What I detest about the USA, however, is the general level of paranoia, the delusions of moral grandeur, the rabid nationalism, and the choreographed aggressive patriotism that everyone is deluged in from kindergarten on. What I like about the USA is the geography, the friendly and likeable people, the energy, and the variety.

As Canada also has wonderful geography and a friendly society without the other crazy jingoistic warlike stuff...I much prefer Canada. The USA is a great power engaging in grand imperialism. Canada is a small power, minding its own business. That is the deciding factor for me, other than the fact that I was born Canadian, which naturally counts for a lot.